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The Arctic Circle is a lot busier than it used to be, a state of affairs that's keeping DARPA awake at night. America's mad science division doesn't like not knowing what's going on up there, and so is asking the public for help. The agency has asked for the science and business community to dream up a cheap and easy to maintain Arctic warning system that'll spot threats on land, in the sky and, crucially, below the ice.

Irked that advertisers are already trying to pinpoint your phone's location? It might be even harder to escape their grasp if AdNear is successful. The ad intelligence group is experimenting with location-tracking drones that profile audiences in harder-to-reach areas (say, field concerts or pedestrian-only urban areas) by triangulating cellular and WiFi signals. In theory, this will help merchants find ways to attract you when you're walking by.

The US has unsurprisingly kept a tight lid on sales of armed drones to prevent the technology from getting into the wrong hands, but it's about to loosen up... to a degree. The Department of State has introduced an export policy that clears the way for selling weaponized drones to allied countries. These partners must agree to use robotic warplanes according to certain principles; the machines are for national defense, not crushing internal political dissent. Nations also have to make a strong argument for why they truly need armed drones, and the US reserves the right to monitor usage, train crews or both.

If you were worried that the Federal Aviation Administration would require a pilot's license before you could fly a drone for professional reasons, you can relax... well, sort of. The FAA has published its proposed commercial drone rules, and they're a bit more lenient than some had feared. The good news? You wouldn't need a license to fly any drone under 55 pounds; instead, you'd take an "aeronautical knowledge" (read: airspace rules) test every two years and get an operator certificate. And if you're flying model airplanes that fit existing criteria, you'd only be bound by current laws.

Virtual reality, drones, 3D printing, robotic telepresence and self-driving cars. A nice selection for tech buzzword bingo, but also just some of the things that Samsung's new product innovation team is already tackling in a bid to come up with the next (big-selling) thing -- its next Galaxy. "Samsung's previous success was mostly due to releasing products that are competitive in pricing. This is an old business formula...": said one official, unsurprisingly not named in the Korea Timesreport. And while, barring an initial foray into VR, these could all be very new business avenues for Samsung.

DJI was the unfortunate drone brand of choice to pay an unplanned visit to the White House. The company responded days later with an update that added some new safety features, including GPS geofencing that stops the drone flying about near sensitive places: like the White House. However, it has paused the roll-out of the update after a few reports that "unanticipated flight behavior after updating" to Phantom firmware v3.10. For now, the company advises that Phantom pilots stick to older versions for now until those safety upgrades are completely, well, safe. As Wired recently reported, it's in the best interests of DJI to ensure its drones aren't flying where they shouldn't be...

In today's Daily Roundup, we look at Oculus Story Studio, the new film-innovation lab creating cinematic content to take advantage of VR devices. Meanwhile, Apple continues to crush it and announces when the Apple Watch will ship, and we learn more about how a drone landed on the White House grounds at 3 AM. Head past the break to get your fill of today's technology news.

Drones used to be scary, specialist equipment reserved for the military and dystopian sci-fi novels. But now they're everywhere. Companies have worked out how to make these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) cheap and reasonably easy to fly, enticing a whole new wave of amateur pilots. Whether you want to use one for photography or filming purposes, or simply to master the art of flight, it's never been easier to have a go.

The rapid rise in drone ownership has left many governments scrambling to work out how, if at all, these lightweight aircraft should be regulated. The rules and restrictions vary around the world, so it's always a good idea to familiarise yourself before launching a drone somewhere new. Keen to start flying in the UK? Here's everything you should know first.

How would you like to travel the world without worrying about the tedious tasks of packing a bag or buying a plane ticket? When Next VR's live broadcast goes mainstream, doing so could be easier than you thought. We're also taking a look at the tech taking over Sundance film festival, and testing out Sling TV's beta service. Read on for details in today's roundup!

One of the biggest complaints about smartwatches is their mediocre battery life. It sounds like the Apple Watch will be no different. In other news, internet activist Barrett Brown was sent to prison for five years and Russia showed off some "combat robots" that still have a lot to prove, fortunately. Catch up on today's top stories after the break.

Last September, the Federal Aviation Administration began working with movie and TV groups to grant them approval for operating drones in national airspace. Most recently, cable news channel CNN got the green light from the FAA to use these UAVs for news reporting, and now ESPN's managed to do the same. The sports network has announced that it plans to use camera-equipped drones during this year's Winter X Games, which are set to take place in Aspen, Colorado. It will be the first time ESPN has done this; the company says this technology is next in a long line of several advances and enhancements for its broadcasts, such as the Pylon Cams we saw recently at the College Football Playoff National Championship.%Gallery-slideshow261888%

While the category might include robots, drones dominated CES 2015. We don't mean the businessmen and businesswomen that trudged the Las Vegas Convention Center with looks of thunder on their faces, but the flyable, camera-attached kind. AirDog claimed our Best of CES awards because it follows you wherever you go and even folds up small enough to fit into a backpack. Good 'Dog.

At CES 2015 you could hardly turn your head without smacking into a 4K display, but finding a robot companion takes a bit of legwork. Luckily, we trolled the halls of the LVCC and beyond to find the most exciting (and often frightening) advances in unmanned technology. From drones that track you through the desert to an Android employee with lifelike expressions, check out the video and photo tours below to witness the fascinating future of robots and drones at CES 2015.

For a closer look at these robots, drones and more check out our 2015 CES Field Guide.%Gallery-slideshow259970% %Gallery-slideshow259867%

While Intel's biggest news at CES this year wasn't a processor or any of the futuristic products it powers, its booth is still packed with eye-pleasing, Edison-packing gadgets. You could take our word for it, or you could check out the 3D-printed prosthetics, robot spider dresses and digitally rendered sand people in the photo and video tours below.

CES is in full swing now, and most of the companies here have already laid their cards on the table. It's bittersweet: It means that there are fewer major announcements from big companies to gush over, but also that we have more time to cruise the show floor for hidden treasures. It's also the day Engadget picks out the finalists for the official Best of CES awards. What did we find and who made the cut? Check out the gallery below and find out.

Twenty minutes with 3D Robotics' Chris Anderson just wasn't enough. After all, before he basically built one of the country's biggest drone makers, he served as editor-in-chief of the storied Wired Magazine (an... unorthodox career leap to say the least). In our wide-ranging conversation, Anderson explored the route that led him from journalism to hardware entrepreneurship, the company's work with Google to help drones scan and navigate the insides of building, and the policies that could shape the very future of our possibly drone-filled skies. Join us for more, won't you? All it takes is a single click above.

Drones are a seemingly everywhere at CES, but senseFly's sensor-laden eXom commercial quadcopter really caught our eye. Why's that? Well, for starters it has a self-leveling and stabilizing err... head up front. That cabeza packs one of five ultrasonic sensors, an ability to record "ultra high-res" stills, HD video and thermal data -- even simultaneously. Like the gizmo's final battery life, weight and price, however, the folks at senseFly, a division of Parrot, aren't ready to talk about exact resolution for any of the cameras. We'd imagine that since the drone's intended to look at pipelines and hydroelectric dams for cracks and defects at close proximity and with "sub-millimeter" accuracy, the imaging tools are going to be pretty powerful.

Looking for property in Southern Arizona? You'll soon be enticed by drone footage, thanks to a new ruling by the FAA. A company called Tierra Antigua Realty of Tucson, Arizona is the first realtor to get the FAA's nod to use a DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ quadcopter to take aerial footage of homes for sale. You might be thinking "haven't I already seen plenty of obnoxious US aerial real estate footage?" You'd be right, but technically, all that video has been illegal -- even though the FAA hasn't been enforcing such regulations. Thanks to a recent ruling, however, it may start to clamp down again.

The doors opened; the masses piled in; and it began: Yesterday was the first official day of CES. It's perhaps the most frenzied day of the week, with hundreds of companies vying for attention within the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center. So, what happened on the show floor yesterday? Check out the gallery below and find out.

While today marks the official start of CES 2015, we've been on the ground for what feels like an eternity. It all started Sunday at CES Unveiled, a small pre-show packed with oddities like smart baby bottles, levitating speakers and family-friendly facial recognition cameras. We may not have found the next big thing at Mandalay Bay this year, but it did make for some decent eye candy. In an attempt to share the love, here's a glimpse of CES Unveiled 2015 in under 60 seconds.

The Federal Aviation Administration was woefully underprepared for the rise of inexpensive drones, but now the agency is finally stepping up its safety game in preparation for a drone-heavy holiday season. The FAA, together with several unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) organizations, is kicking off a new safety campaign for newbie pilots dubbed "Know before you fly." It's filled with plenty of the same advice we've heard from the FAA over the past few years -- keep your UAV under 400 feet, don't fly near planes or other aircraft, and generally don't be a doofus -- but it's the first time the agency is making a concerted effort to educate consumers. The campaign, which includes a (poorly produced) video, a fact-filled website, and documentation for retailers to hand out, is mainly targeted at recreational drone users. The agency's widely criticized ban on commercial drones is still in effect, though it has opened the door for a few filmmakers, and it's currently fielding applications to use UAVs from other private companies.

Amazon things, delivered by drone! The possible future! The project was first teased on 60 Minutes a little over a year ago, and while there's been somemovement, it's apparently not progressing fast enough. Now Amazon's taken the Federal Aviation Agency to task, and told the FAA (and the media) exactly why. The aggrieved letter totals seven pages, plus appendices, as it's actually the part of the exemption application for Amazon's drone experiments. "Without approval of our testing in the United States, we will be forced to continue expanding our Prime Air R&D footprint abroad," Amazon's VP of global public policy Paul Misener, wrote in the letter. The company now aims to shift more of its drone testing outside of the US, unless regulators are able to give permission for the company's outdoor trials soon.

There's a reason why unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) aren't permitted to fly beyond 400 feet and within a five-mile radius from airports: they could cause a disaster if they smash a plane's windshield or get sucked into its engine. Unfortunately, some drone operators don't follow protocol, and their numbers have only increased since June 1st this year. According to a document that the FAA has just released, pilots and air traffic controllers have reported 175 incidents in which a drone was seen flying in restricted airspace since mid-2014. Out of those 175 incidents, 25 describe drones almost colliding with either a plane or a helicopter.

It's a periscope! It's an elbow macaroni! Nope, it's the RE, HTC's $200 handheld camera. Sure, it's super fun and really easy to hold, but if pro-level action shots are what you're after, this noodle-shaped shooter isn't for you. That's not all we have on deck, though -- read on for the rest of our news highlights from the past 24 hours.

If you're planning to shoot your next movie using a drone, beware: you may need to meet some stringent conditions to stay in the Federal Aviation Administration's good books. Sources tell the Wall Street Journal that the agency will propose commercial drone rules that require a conventional pilot's license. Yes, you may need to have flown manned aircraft for dozens of hours to even think of controlling a UAV for cash. You'd also have to fly only during daylight, stay under 400 feet and remain within sight of your craft, so any hopes of high-altitude night shots would go out the window. And these rules would apply to any drone weighing 55 pounds or less; small, easy-to-fly vehicles like 3D Robotics' Iris+ and DJI's Inspire 1 would be subject to the same demands as larger, more complex models.